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Ministry of Defence
23 April 2012

Ministry of Defence

T cells are the foot soldiers of our immune system, deployed on an endless tour of duty around our bodies destroying rogue cells and intruders. They are made in a two-step process that starts in our bone marrow and finishes in a small gland above our heart – the thymus – where they mature into battle-ready cells with specialised skills. It was thought that T cells (here dyed red) matured by a complicated sequence of chemical signals. However, recent findings demonstrate that only four proteins are required. Researchers discovered this by manipulating the chemical environment of a mouse embryo thymus (dyed blue and green), flicking genes on and off like light switches. The discovery prompts a paradigm shift, which could boost research into new drugs. Novel treatments could help rekindle immunity after cancer therapy, and even lead to the creation of artificial thymus glands.

Written by Tristan Farrow

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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